Prince Mohammed was not seen at the match but had been front and centre at the tournament opening on Sunday.
It was also a sweet moment for host Qatar, facing intense criticism over human rights in the conservative Muslim country.
"The fact that the World Cup is in Qatar and we're Arabs - it gives us a lot of energy and excitement."
TOLERANCEBefore the match kicked off, the issue of tolerance arose at a news conference between Qatar's foreign minister and his American counterpart.
The Gulf Arab state, which denies discrimination and points to labour reforms enacted, welcomes everyone, its Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said.